My aspiration is currently to become a (public) academic lecturer. Those who inspire students, the public and hold lectures around the world.
I am now at the end of my first year at university (if I pass my retakes). The year was terrible in terms of grades, barely passing.
I feel that has to do with numerous personal processes of growing up:
>persistence
>self-discipline
>efficiency
>time management
>self-discovery
>balance/mindfulness
I feel that I am still trying to catch-up and learn all these things.
Also my uni's focus in my field took me by surprise and is not my preference. Cutting-edge but not my thing.
My friends don't make it better.
>top 20% in year, go to gym 3x/week, gets THAT exchange
>now in 3rd year, top10 world university, 9.8/10 average, world leader in field as personal mentor
I attract over-achievers as friends.
When I talk to lecturer and read about famous figures, they all seem like over-achievers from a young age. They enter university and just go from scholarship to honours programme to super-grant. Of course failure is part of life (learned that in secondary school), but when they do so, the fail at a very high level.
>Univ. X- on scholarship -> Post-doc at Harvard/Oxbridge and didn't get THAT grant
>well shit.
Non seem to barely pass or fail at young age. They just over-achieve until they reach god-tier and fail against the best. Don't have self-doubt, no need to grow-up, already are 'perfect'.
When i entered uni, I had the goal to do my best and (over)achieve because i could study what I love. Now i'm barely surviving.
Seems like needing to grow up at university is a failure already.
>Why don't those 'winners' never seem to fail until they reach the top?
>No issues which prevent them from over-achieving anyway.
>Did I fuck up already? Bad first year, average end GPA, no top master, no top phD...need new goal?
>Have you had similar experiences?
>>17320543
>Did I fuck up already? Bad first year, average end GPA, no top master, no top phD...need new goal?
I'm going to be honest with you.
Your first year is generally pretty easy compared to how it's going to get, and if you're struggling now, it doesn't bode well for the future. To become a lecturer, depending on the field, you'll need a Masters or PhD, and you won't even get into those programs, let alone finish them, if you're barely passing.
It's good to have a goal, but don't make that your only option.
>>17320556
Thanks for your advice.
I get your point. In academia, success builds on success.
I have also heard from other students that the second year is even more specialised (more of that not-really-my-thing stuff).
That being said (just to clarify) I am not a US student and don't go though that college/general-edu phase. It is major all the way.
>I wouldn't know how to 'fix it'.
>Does this mean that if you as soon as you stumble and don't instantly over compensate in academia, you are fucked for good?
>>17320599
What's your major? Do you think perhaps you've selected something that's not your strength? How have you been academically so far, through high school and whatnot?
>Does this mean that if you as soon as you stumble and don't instantly over compensate in academia, you are fucked for good?
Not necessarily. Like my questions above suggest, perhaps you're just not studying something that you're good at. Are you aware that you have to constantly be churning out quality research to keep your post as a lecturer too?
Also have you explored other options you could do with your major, rather that just lecture? Also keep in mind that extracurriculars can be helpful
>>17320634
I am going for a BSc. Psychology. But my university focuses more on neuroscience/neurocognition than 'traditional' psychology. I find the field interesting and think its the future, but learning about brain structures and neurotransmitters all day becomes very dry, very quickly for me.
>More into social / cultural psychology. My uni has socpsy, but the BSc. seems to actively neglect it.
I graduated secondary school with a 'good' GPA, not outstanding but good enough to get into a leading university in the field. Had to change high school due to wrong choices. Teachers and professors always remembered and liked me as a person. Always said 'great student' (minus the grades). Did a lot of internships during my high school years, which i feel has left me somewhat exhausted upon entering uni.
>Also at uni i involved myself in study associations to quickly without first coming to terms with the study load.
Psychology is very broad.
>From business to therapy, you need them in some form everywhere.
My programme is very demanding of time-discipline. There are no final-exam waves, just constant individual exams. They want you to be always working, always alert, no slacking whatsover. And I am learning that.
>Didn't learn it well enough in secondary
>Fucked up chances.
>>17320679
Where do you live, btw?
>psychology
If I'm being brutally honest, if you're struggling with basic psychology, then you're really not going to have an easy time getting a PhD or Masters. I have a friend who doing her Masters in psychology at the moment and according to her, you generally need a PhD to lecture psychology, mostly because so many people take it so they need to narrow down people somehow.
You are lucky and correct when you say that your options with a degree in psychology are very broad. Why not look into what else you can do? I know people with psychology degrees working for the government or defence forces, and there's always roles in HR or whatever too.
>>17320556
Basically this.
The only thing you can really do at this point is go full-throttle and absolutely apply yourself from here on out. When/if you apply to grad programs, a bit of "thee shall overcome" always helps, but you have to correct any fuckups the first chance you can and prove you aren't just chasing a degree, but a complete and total mastery of your field.
Believe me when I say all of the shit you've endured thus far is nothing that the rest of us haven't experienced, minus the flop right out of the gates.
I would calculate what you have, what it will take for you to go beyond minimums at your grad schools and see if it is even humanly possible.
>>17320725
>If I'm being brutally honest, if you're struggling with basic psychology, then you're really not going to have an easy time getting a PhD or Masters.
I agree with this.
I myself am working on an MBA/JD in a joint-degree program, and leading up to it, I had to take multiple psychology and sociology courses, requiring not only knowledge in neuroscience, but also the traditional psychology you speak of, including various field experiments requiring a shit-ton of statistics. I can't imagine the work someone would be required to do for a major.
>>17320788
I think it really depends where you live. I did a degree in psychology and I honestly don't think it was a lot of work.
>>17320725
>Western Europe
I understand. In Europe PhD is almost always required to lecture. My university was fairly selective as is (1/3 acceptance), they are fair but, as i said, demand a lot of discipline.
No PhD is easy. But then again, my study is a lot more akin to neuroscience/physiology/biology than psychology.
>I think I would possibly be studying sociology, if it wasn't such a shit-tier subject.
There are grad programmes who are not restricted. But to get into very reputable ones (Cultural Psychology at LSE), you need the grades.
As i said I was never a great, top tier student and relied more on personal connections and building relationships (impressing higher-ups) to reach my goals.
>Shit strategy.
Working and then becoming an academic is also a possibility.
>>17320735
>go full-throttle.
I plan to do so. But I tend to have problems with endurance (always have). I just fairly recently learned how to deal with disappointment and to now fall on my face again is not nice.
I will always do my best and slowly improve. But I have tried rushing a 360 turn in my life and it has led me here.
>feel burnt out.
>tired
failing is common
>sure it is. people always tell me.
>how did you deal?
>>17320788
MBA
>i have many MBAs (and one MBA professor) in my family.
>Business has psychology lite. Far from full science rigour in my experience.
People tend to think Psychology is a fun-and-games subject.
>Guess what, it is proper science and not easy peasy. Listening to people in a chair.
>>17320825
I am in western Europe.
>Had exchange students tell me that my unis workload far exceeds that of 'normal' universities.
>Unis in Europe tend to have higher standards in BSc, than their US counterparts, but higher PhD requirements than EU.
>>17320837
>>Business has psychology lite. Far from full science rigour in my experience.
I think you've missed my point; my comment was not to be disparaging in regards to your studies, but more or less "Hey, I took some of that shit and it was a pain in the ass, I can't compare my experience to that of a Psychology major, but I know it's tough!"
With that said, you may have learned beyond my studies in that area, but I'd say you didn't learn anything more "rigorously," or different, for that matter.
>>17320898
Sorry, for misunderstanding.
To be honest, I think going into that direct of psychology would have fit me better.
Although i do not see myself working in organisational depts. of companies, social aspects of psychology are more emphasised in business than where I am.
>heard here that socpsy is dying and going down the drain.
>scary to hear from a lecturer
>told me to basically stay the fuck away from it.
How did you learn self-discipline? How did you deal with setbacks?
